Going Green‘09
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What does going green actually mean? Top ten ways to go green.
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Driving Green.
I’m sure you heard the saying “ Going Green ” but what does that actually mean? When we think of going green you usually think of disgusting food and overly expensive items, but it means so much more than that. If you were to Google “Going Green” you will get an answer some how referring to the products you use in your every day life and how you can change them to make them suit the environment without causing any damage. Here are some ways to be more eco friendly without even having to break the bank. 1. Save Energy to save money. a. Set your thermostat a few degrees lower in the winter and a few degrees higher in the summer to save on heating and cooling costs. b. Install compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) when your older incandescent bulbs burn out. c. Unplug appliances when you're not using them. Or, use a "smart" power strip that senses when appliances are off and cuts "phantom" or "vampire" energy use. d. Wash clothes in cold water whenever possible. As much as 85 percent of the energy used to machine-wash clothes goes to heating the water. e. Use a drying rack or clothesline to save the energy otherwise used during machine drying. If you must use a dryer, consider adding dryer balls to cut drying time .
2. Save Water to save money. a. Take shorter showers to reduce water use. This will lower your water and heating bills too. b. Install a low-flow showerhead. They don't cost much, and the water and energy savings can quickly pay back your investment. c. Make sure you have a faucet aerator on each faucet. These inexpensive appliances conserve heat and water, while keeping water pressure high. d. Plant drought-tolerant native plants in your garden. Many plants need minimal watering. Find out which occur naturally in your area.
3. Less gas = More Money (and better health) a. Walk or bike to work. This saves on gas and parking costs while improving your cardiovascular health and reducing your risk of obesity and less pollution.
b. Consider telecommuting if you live far from your work. Or move closer. Even if this means paying more rent, it could save you money in the long term. c. Lobby your local government to increase spending on sidewalks and bike lanes. With little cost, these improvements can pay huge dividends in bettering your health and reducing traffic thus less pollution.
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4. Eat Smart a. If you eat meat, add one meatless meal a week. Meat costs a lot at the store-and it's even more expensive when you consider the related environmental and health costs. b. Buy locally raised, humane, and organic meat, eggs, and dairy whenever you can. Purchasing from local farmers keeps money in the local economy. c. Watch videos about why local food and sustainable seafood are so great. d. Whatever your diet, eat low on the food chain [pdf]. This is especially true for seafood.
5. Skip Bottle Water a. Use a water filter to purify tap water instead of buying bottled water. Not only is bottled water expensive, but it generates large amounts of container waste. b. Bring a reusable water bottle, preferably aluminum rather than plastic, with you when traveling or at work or school. c. Check out this short article for the latest on bottled water trends.
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6. Think Before you buy a. Go online to find new or gently used secondhand products. Whether you've just moved or are looking to redecorate, consider a service like
craigslist or Free Sharing to track down furniture, appliances, and other items cheaply or for free. b. Check out garage sales, thrift stores, and consignment shops for clothing and other everyday items. c. When making purchases, make sure you know what " Good Stuff" is and what it isn't. d. Watch a video about what happens when you buy things. Your purchases have a real impact, for better or worse.
7. Borrow instead of buying a. Borrow from libraries instead of buying personal books and movies. This saves money, not to mention the ink and paper that goes into printing new books. b. Share power tools and other appliances. Get to know your neighbors while cutting down on the number of things cluttering your closet or garage.
8. Buy Smart a. Buy in bulk. Purchasing food from bulk bins can save money and packaging. b. Wear clothes that don't need to be dry-cleaned. This saves money and cuts down on toxic chemical use. c. Invest in high-quality, long-lasting products. You might pay more now, but you'll be happy when you don't have to replace items as frequently (and this means less waste!).
9. Keep Electronics out of the trash
a. Keep your cell phones, computers, and other electronics as long as possible. b. Donate or recycle them responsibly when the time comes. E-waste contains mercury and other toxics and is a growing environmental problem. c. Recycle your cell phone. d. Ask your local government to set up an electronics recycling and hazardous waste collection event .
10. Make your own cleaning supplies a. The big secret: you can make very effective, non-toxic cleaning products whenever you need them. All you need are a few simple ingredients like baking soda, vinegar, lemon, and soap. b. Making your own cleaning products saves money, time, and packaging-
not to mention your indoor air quality. These things will save you a little green, and keep the environment safe. Don’t be over whelmed by all these suggestions it will take a while to do all of those and apply them in your every day life. Try to do a 2 to 3 of theses things a week. You will be on your way to an eco savvy person.
Driving Green The Greenest
The vehicles in this category were ranked the highest in their class based on fuel efficiency and low-emission standards.
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Subcompact and Compact: The Honda Civic GX and Civic Hybrid came in at the top of the compact vehicle category, as well as the Toyota Corolla, Kia Rio, Ford Focus, Mazda 3, and Hyundai Accent. For subcompact cars, the Mini Cooper Convertible, Chevrolet Aveo 5 and Cobalt, the Volkswagen New Beetle, Toyota Yaris, and the Pontiac G5 rise to the top.
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Midsize and Large: The Toyota Prius, Nissan Altima Hybrid, Toyota Camry Hybrid, Hyundai Elantra, Nissan Sentra and Altima, and the Kia Spectra shine in the midsize category. Best of the large cars are the Hyundai Sonata, Chevrolet Impala, Toyota Avalon, Chevrolet Malibu Maxx, and the Buick Lucerne.
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Wagons: The greenest wagon awards go to the Ford Focus Wagon, Subaru Legacy 2.5i Wagon, Honda Fit, Pontiac Vibe, Suzuki SX4, Audi A3, Dodge Caliber, Toyota Matrix, and the Volkswagen Passat Wagon.
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Minivans and Large Vans: For something with a little more space but still easy on the environment, check out the Toyota Sienna, Dodge Caravan, Chrysler Town & Country, Honda Odyssey, Nissan Quest, Chevrolet G1500/2500 Van, and the GMC G1500/2500 Savana (Cargo).
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SUV’s: Sport Utility Vehicles come in all shapes and sizes. If you’re looking for one as big on style as well as fuel economy, try the Ford Escape Hybrid, Mercury Mariner Hybrid, Subaru Forester, Jeep Compass, Saturn Vue, Jeep Patriot, Toyota Highlander, Ford Freestyle, Pontiac Torrent, Lexus RX 400h, Nissan Xterra, BMW X3, Chevrolet Suburban and Tahoe, and the GMC Yukon.
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Pickups: The Ford Ranger, Mazda B2300, Toyota Tacoma, Nissan Frontier, GMC Canyon, Chevrolet Colorado, GMC Sierra Classic and the Silverado Classic in both the C1500 models as well as the Hybrid get the job done in an Earth-Friendly way. The Meanest
The vehicles in the “Meanest” category had the worst overall scores in terms of fuel efficiency and emission output.
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Volkswagen Touareg
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Mercedes-Benz GL320 CGI
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Lamborghini Murcielago
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Jeep Grand Cherokee
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Bentley Arnage RL
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Mercedes-Benz R320 CDI
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Mercedes-Benz ML 320 CDI
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Maybach 57 S/62 S
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Bentley Azure
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Ford F-250
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Dodge Ram 2500 Mega Cab
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Lincoln Navigator